Tanzania’s veteran politician, James Mapalala dies aged 83
Dar es Salaam. A veteran politician and one of the leading pioneers of pluralism in Tanzania, James Mapalala, has died in Dar es Salaam aged 83, the family has confirmed.
Mr Mapalala is well remembered for being the first Tanzanian politician to have publicly demanded the reinstatement of the multiparty democracy in 1986, something that angered the then government authorities.
The deceased’s son, Mr Bernard James told The Citizen on Wednesday, October 23, 2019, that his father died at the Hubert Kairuki Memorial Hospital (HKMH) where he was receiving treatment.
“He died at around 10:30am. He was admitted at the hospital for nearly two weeks after developing breathing complications,” he spoke on telephone.
Mr James said family members and friends would be meeting at the deceased’s home in Kinondoni Morocco and details of his burial would be announced in the due course.
His role in democratisation
In 1986, Mapalala was jailed for two years in Lindi and later taken to detention in the Mafia Island before being released in 1989.
He was accused of forming a political party contrary to the constitution which at the time recognised one party system.
He officially formed the Chama cha Wananchi (CCW) in 1991, and then united it with another political party formed in Zanzibar-Kamahuru to form the present Civic United Front (CUF) in 1993.
He was elected the first party’s national chairman, the position he served until 1994, when his tenure ended following a political wrangle that erupted in the party.
The party was then left in the hands of Musobi Mageni Musobi as the national chairman and Seif Shariff Hamad as secretary general.
Mr Mapalala is survived by a wife and several children.
